SUNY New Paltz loses 3-2 in overtime to Rutgers-Newark

Hawks Fall in Overtime Thriller to Rutgers-Newark

The State University of New York New Paltz men’s soccer team built a furious second-half surge during its New Jersey Athletic Conference Tournament debut Saturday afternoon, erasing a two-goal deficit before falling 3-2 in overtime to host Rutgers-Newark at Frederick Douglass Field.

Fifth-seeded SUNY New Paltz finished its inaugural conference tournament appearance with a 10-6-2 overall record. The fourth-seeded Scarlet Raiders claimed the match in the 99th minute, securing a spot in the NJAC semifinals.

First-Half Pressure from Rutgers-Newark

Rutgers-Newark established an early attacking presence, generating three shots in the opening eight minutes. Senior Kieran Weber sent an attempt wide for the Hawks in the eighth minute, but the hosts broke through in the 16th minute. Following a corner kick, Chihiro Suenaga connected with Ali Celik, who found the back of the net at the 15:36 mark for a 1-0 lead.

Samuel Snider responded with an opportunity less than a minute later, yet the Scarlet Raiders maintained pressure. Freshman goalkeeper Austin Sheehan stopped an 18th-minute shot from Zahradeen Amadou. In the 37th minute, the hosts extended their lead to two when Ian Brown scored his fourth goal of the year off a feed from Noah Russon.

Quentin Smith forced Rutgers-Newark goalkeeper David Bejarano into a save in the 41st minute. Bryan Lizama sent an effort high in the closing minute of the half as the Hawks entered intermission trailing 2-0.

Lizama Scores to Cut the Deficit

SUNY New Paltz opened the second period with renewed urgency, earning consecutive corner kicks and attempts from Chase Marshall and Ryan Zindler. The Hawks earned a penalty kick in the 55th minute, but Brandon Dhanoolal missed the target, keeping the score at 2-0.

The visitors continued to dictate the pace. Leo Steiner sent an effort narrowly off target in the 61st minute before Owen Joyce connected with Lizama in the 68th minute. Lizama buried his fourth goal of the season at the 67:47 mark, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

Zindler and Cody Hamilton generated further attempts as SUNY New Paltz pressed forward. With time running out, the Hawks forced a corner kick with less than 90 seconds remaining. Following a foul in the final minute, SUNY New Paltz sent a free kick into a crowded penalty area. A Scarlet Raiders defender attempted a defensive header but redirected the ball backward over his own goalkeeper and into the net, leveling the contest at 2-2 with just 33 seconds remaining in regulation.

Overtime Golden Goal Ends Inaugural Campaign

SUNY New Paltz carried momentum into the extra period, with Dhanoolal generating an opportunity in the 96th minute. However, the Scarlet Raiders delivered the final blow at the 98:05 mark when Michael Reis connected with Augusto Vieira for the golden goal, sealing the 3-2 victory.

Over the last 45 minutes of regulation, the Hawks dictated the action by holding an 11-2 advantage in shots over Rutgers-Newark. Across the entire match, SUNY New Paltz registered 16 total shots to the hosts’ 11 and earned 5 corner kicks compared to 2 for Rutgers-Newark. Zindler and Dhanoolal each recorded three shots, while Lizama finished with two shots and his fourth goal of the season. Sheehan played all 98:05 in goal, recording three saves.